I look for clarity of thought. I like a combination of logic and madness. We work in an industry where we solve problems, and trying to define what is the problem that we’re actually trying to solve is quite often the biggest challenge. So I like people to have a very analytical way of approaching a problem and figure out what is important and what isn’t. If there’s a logic to the construct of your argument or idea, then you need to deliver it with a sense of irreverence and madness. And not fall into the trap of delivering it in a dry fashion that won’t catch anyone’s attention or get them interested. It’s a very “yin and yang” thing; if the fundamentals of the thinking are sound and given a “sticky wrapping,” then they will engage people.

I hired someone with no knowledge of advertising but she had a sketchbook, and I hired her as a copywriter. Later she became more interested in making beautiful visuals, so she turned into an art director. And now she is a very good creative director.

Sometimes students have doodles—a small drawing—and next to it a paragraph or small poem. And from that you know that they live. Advertising people need to live life. Without that, there is no way you can have inspiration. You don’t have to always write advertising headlines. If a person loves life and wants to put it down on paper for themselves, that person has merit. As a Chinese creative director we are like a jade finder. There is no way I can know everything about you, but there is something in you that makes me think you have a chance to turn into jade. And I am responsible to help this person develop and turn into jade. And if I’m a student I want to find someone who will do that for me.

What do you look for in a student or junior portfolio? And what impresses you?

Unique thinking and a willingness to learn. I don’t think you can teach either of these things, so it’s really important. I’ve met some juniors who are interesting thinkers but they have attitude problems and/or a sense of entitlement that will not sit well within our company culture.

Also, in regards to their unique thinking, it doesn’t necessarily have to be advertising work. If somebody has a unique take on the world, you can see that through a piece of writing, a new business idea, or a personal art project. If they are showing initiative and a willingness to experiment, then that’s the type of person we want in the agency. Some of their work might not be perfect, but if they’re trying new ways of doing things, that’s important to us. It’s okay if you try and fail, but it’s never okay if you fail to try.

Justin Drape is Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder at The Monkeys in Sydney.

Sydney Opera House – The Ship Song Project

The Ship Song Project is a music project that invites the world inside the The Sydney Opera House and positions ‘The House’ as a contemporary cultural hub.

Set to a re-working of Nick Cave’s immortal ballad, the film features performances by 100 of some of Australia’s and the world’s preeminent artists including Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Sarah Blasko, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly, Temper Trap, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan and Daniel Johns and featured Sydney Opera House resident companies Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes with Opera Australia, The Australia Ballet, Bangarra Dance Company, John Bell, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

What do you look for in a student or junior portfolio? And what impresses you?

I look for work I wish I had done. I look for work that shows a creative maturity. It’s not just copying the latest scamps from Cannes. It’s work that’s actually designed to look at problems in a different way and probably sell a product or to change people—whatever the brief calls for.

Can you think of any portfolios that have done those things?

I did see a portfolio a couple years ago that stood out from all the others and that I thought was exceptional. But, in talking to the team, I didn’t think that they were exceptional. I thought that they had the wrong attitude. I would rather have people with the right attitude who aren’t brilliant than brilliant people with the wrong attitude. It’s not just about the book; it’s about the people.

I would look for something special. Gwen Yip sent me not a portfolio but a booklet full of comics and some writing. It was different. Not normal. Not just something that was done as a school assignment. The other thing I would look for is insights in the work.

Is that quality something that could come through in advertising, or are you looking for work that isn’t advertising at all?

Not even advertising at all. It’s better not to be advertising.

Why?

If you want a job at an advertising agency and you don’t send me advertising, that is special, and different from all the other candidates. It shows bravery and an attitude that is unique, and if the content of the work is good then this candidate is in good shape.